Maldives Police Service revealed late Thursday, that a total of 95 individuals were stopped and issued a first warning, for having violated the curfew set in place by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) amid the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.
The authorities further noted that of the 95 individuals noted, 82 were Maldivians while only 13 were of foreign nationality.
The curfew declaraton made on Wednesday by HPA's Director-General Maimoona Aboobakuru, restricts movement across the greater Male' region between 1700 to 2000 hrs, and came into effect at 1200 hours on Thursday. It also further prohibits gatherings of more than three persons during non-curfew hours.
Under section 91 of the Public Health Act (7/2012), infected persons or persons suspected of infection must follow the instructions of the relevant authorities. In the case of refusal or violations, a case can be filed against the person at the Civil Court, for which a court order can be enforced by the Police.
Furthermore, individuals found in violation of the regulations set forth by HPA under the state of public health emergency can be fined up to a maximum of MVR 1000. Authorities confirmed on Wednesday that they would pursue fines, where applicable.
However, certain individuals and vehicles are all exempt from the aforementioned curfew for formal purposes only.
In addition to the curfew, HPA has ordered that all retail outlets and stores in Male', Vilimale' and Hulhumale' remain closed between 2300 and 0600 hrs while cafes and restaurants in the region are instructed to stop providing takeaway services from 0000 to 1600 hrs. HPA also ordered the halt of construction work at sites in the greater Male' region from 1700 hrs to 0600 hrs.
These measures are declared under the rights afforded to the Health Protection Agency under the state of Public Health Emergency that was announced on March 12.
The cabinet's decision to extend the closure of government institutions, schools colleges and universities for another week as a preventative measure against COVID-19 was announced late Tuesday.
Presently, Maldives records 19 confirmed and six active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 13 recoveries. While there are two confirmed cases of Maldivians, no local to local transmissions have been recorded.
The World Health Organization has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected over 966,700 people and claimed over 49,000 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 203,500 people have recovered.
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